Grenada Rugby World 7s (GRW7s) 2022 was officially launched at the destination’s National Stadium recently and will be the new home of the longest running Club Rugby 7s tournament in the region.
In an exciting first for Grenada, organizers of the highly anticipated event are partnering with the Grenada Tourism Authority (GTA) to bring more than 30 of the world’s best men’s and women’s Club Rugby 7s teams to the island for a week of official activities. thus providing an important financial injection in the local economy.
Grenada Tourism Authority CEO Petra Roach stated, “We are deliberately building sports tourism as one of our growth planks, so hosting this very prestigious tournament is a huge win for Grenada. Rugby sevens is one of the most dispersed forms of rugby and differs from traditional rugby union, with teams of seven players playing seven-minute halves, rather than 15 players playing the usual 40-minute halves. It is exciting and fast-paced and we know that hosting this tournament will further fuel the interest of our youngsters in playing the game. We anticipate that this will further increase the membership of the recently formed Grenada Rugby Union.
The Honorable Lennox Andrews, Minister with responsibility for Tourism, acknowledged the novelty of rugby in Grenada saying: “Life is a process of constant change and this new sport on our island speaks to this idea of constant change – new ideas, new ways of living and new ways of do things. So come December 2n.d and 3st2022 history will be written in Grenada.”
Minister Andrews continued, “she [GRW7s tournament] it also shows the importance of the tourism industry to our economy, given its contribution to hotels and restaurants, but also its strong links with agriculture, music, the creative industry and of course sports, the tourism industry contributes much more than us. assessment.” Minister Andrews concluded by encouraging the people of Grenada to support the Grenada Rugby World 7s tournament.
Minister of State with responsibility for Youth, Sport and Culture, The Honorable Ron Redhead “This Rugby Tournament can create many opportunities for Grenadians, including hoteliers, tour operators, retailers and our athletes, obviously the intangibles of sport have a powerful influence on decision makers regarding the role of sport in economic development. The Minister further said, “Indeed we anticipate that many of our Grenadians who have only seen rugby on television now have a chance to witness the sport in person. As a nation of naturally talented youngsters, I have no doubt that there will be stars born after this tournament.”
It is set to take place on December 2n.d – 3st at the Grenada Cricket Stadium, teams from Canada, USA, England, Wales, Scotland, France and Fiji have already indicated their intention to travel to Grenada to compete this year., all competing fiercely for the total prize of $15,000 and the highly sought-after titles of winners up for grabs.
In an official statement, GRW7s CEO Brian Stollmeyer said the tournament, which has been running for over 30 years, is one of the most popular international rugby events, especially for the women’s divisions which will have an advantage over the men’s divisions in terms of prestige and prizes.
“This is our first year in Grenada and we are excited to host an event that will appeal to both locals and tourists,” he said.
“After a two-year hiatus, what makes this year’s event particularly unique is that we are now offering a fun and family-friendly element to the mix. In addition to world-class rugby matches, the 2022 GRW7s experience also aims to showcase a sampling of Grenadian culture, including local music, arts and crafts stalls, culinary delights and much more.
In addition, as the local rugby community on the island is just starting to build momentum, we see this as a perfect opportunity for the general public to learn more about the sport and come and see for themselves the inclusive spirit of rugby. I encourage everyone at home and abroad to come out in December and show your support for this exciting international event.”
Speaking at the launch, GRW7s Events Manager George Nicholson echoed these sentiments.
“A big draw card for this year’s event is its expanded format, which will include a taste of ‘Pure Grenada’ complemented by ‘Pure 7s’ rugby on the field,” he said. “We are delighted to partner with the Grenada Tourism Authority to highlight Grenada not only as a unique tourist destination, but also as a premier sporting event venue for world-class competitions such as this one.”
Nicholson took the opportunity to call on every possible eventual partner, both local and international, to lend their support to GRW7.
“We have a variety of sponsorship and partnership packages which can be tailored to suit all types of budgets,” he said.
“Given the event’s long heritage, we have a proven track record of attracting significant local and global exposure through live streaming, social media promotion and venue branding – just to name a few of our official channels of distribution. We invite all businesses and individuals to consider partnering with us to expand the reach and visibility of their brand in the public domain and to lend their support to this ever-expanding event.”
The ‘Caribbean 7s’ tour began in Trinidad in the 1980s before moving to Tobago in 2011, and then Barbados in 2016. With this year’s move to the Spice Isle of the Caribbean, the 2022 GRW7s will break new ground by strengthening the synergy between sports and tourism, and sports and entertainment, and offer teams, officials and spectators an enhanced event ‘experience’ with something for everyone.
For all GRW7s information, visit www.grw7s.com
